Method and system for a battery charging station utilizing multiple types of power transmitters for wireless battery charging

ABSTRACT

A battery charging station is equipped with radio frequency power transmitters, induction power transmitters, and ultrasound power transmitters so as to concurrently charge electronic devices. The battery charging station is operable to network the electronic devices through wireless communication. In this regard, the battery charging station may coordinate or arrange the radio frequency power transmitters, the induction power transmitters and/or the ultrasound power transmitters so that the resulting power transmission from the battery charging station to one or more intended networked electronic devices may be maximized. The battery charging station may wirelessly communicate with the electronic devices for device networking. The networked electronic devices may be connected to a computer network for various network services such as, for example, network advertising and software downloading or uploading. Both direct and in-direct device-to-device communication may be supported among the networked electronic devices. The battery charging station maintains data communication during battery charging.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS/INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

This application makes reference to:

U.S. application Ser. No. 12/979,254 filed on Dec. 27, 2010; and

U.S. application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No. 25000U.S.01) filedon Mar. 15, 2012.

Each of the above stated applications is hereby incorporated herein byreference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Certain embodiments of the invention relate to signal processing forcommunication systems. More specifically, certain embodiments of theinvention relate to a method and system for a battery charging stationusing multiple types of power transmitters for wireless batterycharging.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Portable devices such as mobile phones, laptop computers, tables, andother communication device often rely on electrical battery energy toconduct communications. Electrical batteries store chemical energy anddeliver electrical energy through an electrochemical conversion process.An electrical battery consists of one or more cells, organized in anarray. Each cell consists of an anode, a cathode, and an electrolytethat separates the two electrodes and allows the transfer of electronsas ions between them. Chemical material that originates chemicalreactions within the cell is called active material. In practice, theenergy that can be obtained from a cell is fundamentally limited by thequantity of active material contained in the cell. Electrical batteriesmay be non-rechargeable or rechargeable. Although some portable devicesmay use non-rechargeable batteries, the vast majority depend onrechargeable batteries. Portable devices run on batteries. Display, harddisk, logic, and memory are the device components with the greatestimpact on power consumption; however, when a wireless interface is addedto a portable system, power consumption increases significantly. Forexample, even when not making a call, mobile phones keep listening tothe network over wireless interfaces to keep in touch with the networkin case a call comes in. Batteries with features such as a longlifetime, a lightweight, and a small size are highly desirable inportable wireless devices.

Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditionalapproaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, throughcomparison of such systems with some aspects of the present invention asset forth in the remainder of the present application with reference tothe drawings.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A method and/or system for a battery charging station using multipletypes of power transmitters for wireless battery charging, substantiallyas shown in and/or described in connection with at least one of thefigures, as set forth more completely in the claims.

These and other advantages, aspects and novel features of the presentinvention, as well as details of an illustrated embodiment thereof, willbe more fully understood from the following description and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary communication system thatis operable to wirelessly charge electrical batteries utilizing multipletypes of power transmitters, in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary battery charging stationwith multiple types of power transmitters for wireless battery charging,in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary electronic device withmultiple types of power receivers for wireless battery charging, inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating exemplary steps utilized by a batterycharging station to network electronic devices and supportdevice-to-device communication, in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating exemplary steps utilized by a batterycharging station to connect electronic devices to a computer network tosupport network functions, in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating exemplary steps utilized by anelectronic device to perform device-to-device communication, inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating exemplary steps utilized by anelectronic device to connect to a computer network to support networkfunctions, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Certain embodiments of the invention may be found in a method and systemfor a battery charging station using multiple types of powertransmitters for wireless battery charging. In accordance with variousexemplary embodiments of the invention, a battery charging station isequipped with radio frequency power transmitters, induction powertransmitters, and ultrasound power transmitters. The battery chargingstation may be operable to concurrently charge a plurality of electronicdevices utilizing the RF power transmitters, the induction powertransmitters, and the ultrasound power transmitters. The batterycharging station may network the electronic devices through wirelesscommunication. In this regard, the battery charging station maycoordinate or arrange the RF power transmitters, the induction powertransmitters and/or the ultrasound power transmitters so that theresulting power transmission from the battery charging station to one ormore intended networked electronic devices may be maximized. In anembodiment of the invention, the battery charging station may wirelesslycommunicate with the electronic devices for device networking. Thebattery charging station may be operable to provide networking functionsand connect the networked electronic devices to a computer network forvarious network services, for example, network advertising and softwaredownloading or uploading. Using the networking functionality of thebattery charging station, both direct and in-direct device-to-devicecommunication may be supported among the networked electronic devices.The battery charging station may dedicate a portion of the powertransmitters to optimize data communication with the electronic devices,while the rest may be utilized and optimized for charging the electronicdevices.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary communication system thatis operable to wirelessly charge electrical batteries utilizingultrasound, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Referringto FIG. 1, there is shown a communication system 100. The communicationsystem 100 comprises a battery charging station 110, a battery adapter120 and a plurality of electronic devices 130, of which electronicdevices 130 a through 130 g are illustrated.

The battery charging station 110 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry,interfaces and/or code that are operable to concurrently charge aplurality of electronic devices utilizing ultrasound power, inductionpower, and radio frequency (RF) power. In this regard, the batterycharging station 110 may be operable to convert electric power fromelectrical sources such as an electrical wall outlet into ultrasoundenergy, induction energy, and RF energy. In an embodiment of theinvention, the battery charging station 110 may be operable towirelessly charge electrical batteries of intended objects such as theelectronic devices 130 a-130 g by emitting or transmitting ultrasoundenergy, induction energy, and/or RF energy to the electronic devices 130a-130 g.

The battery charging station 110 may be operable to select whichelectronic device to power up and communicate with. The electronicdevices 130 a-130 g may be identified through various deviceidentification information such as media access control address (MACID), network IP address, name, serial number, product name andmanufacturer, and/or capabilities. The battery charging station 110 mayacquire the device IDs from the electronic devices 130 a-130 g toprioritize charging. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, anelectronic device may function as a battery charging station. Forexample, in some instances, an electronic device may comprise powerreceivers and power transmitters. The battery charging station 110 maycharge such an electronic device and the electronic device may thencharge another electronic device that needs to be charged. The batterycharging station 110 may comprise a credit card reader so that users ofthe electronic devices 130 a-130 g may not only charge their devices butalso make payment transactions. For example, phones with near fieldcommunication (NFC) capabilities may not only be charged but they mayalso be used for contactless payment so that the users place the phonesnear the charging station 110 in order to transmit payment informationto a secured server on the Internet. Alternatively, the charging station110 may receive credit card information through chips embedded in thecredit cards, for example. The battery charging station 110 may bebuilt-in to conference room tables, office tables or lightweight pads sothat meeting participants may wirelessly charge their devices, connectto each other or to the Intranet/Internet, transmit/receive information,and/or make payment transactions.

The battery adapter 120 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry,interfaces and/or code that are operable to sense or detect signalsemitted from the battery charging station 110. In this regard, thesignals from the battery charging station 110 may comprise ultrasonicsignals, induction signals and/or RF signals. The battery adapter 120may be operable to convert the corresponding received energy such asultrasound energy, induction energy and RF energy back into electricalpower to charge electrical batteries of the electronic devices 130 a-130g.

The electronic devices 130 a-130 g may comprise suitable logic,circuitry, interfaces and/or code that are operable to utilizeelectrical battery energy to conduct communications for desiredservices. The electronic devices 130 a-130 g may be wirelessly chargedwithout using cables or AC adapters. In this regard, ultrasound energy,induction energy, and/or electric energy emitted or transmitted from thebattery charging station 110 may be utilized to charge or powerbatteries of the electronic devices 130 a-130 g.

Although a single stand-alone battery adapter is illustrated in FIG. 1for wirelessly charge electrical batteries utilizing ultrasound, theinvention may not be so limited. Accordingly, each electronic device mayhave its own battery adapter, or the charging station may have multiplebattery adapters utilized to wirelessly charge one or more electronicdevices without departing from the spirit and scope of variousembodiments of the invention.

In an exemplary operation, the battery charging station 110 may receiveor capture electrical power and convert the electrical power intoultrasound energy, induction energy, and RF energy. The battery chargingstation 110 may be operable to transmit the ultrasound energy, inductionenergy, and RF energy to the battery adapter 120. The battery adapter120 may sense or receive the ultrasound energy, the induction energy,and the RF energy wirelessly emitted from the battery charging station110. The battery adapter 120 may convert the received ultrasound energy,the induction energy, and the RF energy back into electrical power. Thebattery adapter 120 may utilize the electrical power to wirelesslycharge batteries for devices such as the electronic devices 130 a-130 g.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary battery charging stationwith multiple types of power transmitters for wireless battery charging,in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 2,there is shown a battery charging station 200. The battery chargingstation 200 comprises an AC-DC adaptor 202, a plurality of sensors 204,communicators 206, a networking unit 208, a processor 210, multiplexers212 a and 212 b, a beam former circuitry 212 c, an RF power transmitters214 a, an induction power transmitters 214 b, an ultrasound powertransmitters 214 c, an I/O unit 216, a display 218 and a memory 220.

The battery charging station 200 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry,interfaces and/or code that are operable to convert electric power intoinaudible ultrasound energy, induction energy and radio frequencyenergy.

The AC-DC adaptor 202 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfacesand/or code that are operable to convert AC power into DC power to poweror charge associated device components such as the display 218 forbattery charging station 200.

The sensors 204 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfacesand/or code that are operable to sense power or signals. The sensors 204may capture and receive sensed signals and communicate with theprocessor 210 so that the processor uses that information for optimalcharging or transmits the sensed signals over the communicators 206and/or the networking unit 208, for example. In one embodiment sensors204 may sense the location of the battery adapter 120 of an electronicdevice such as the electronic device 130 a. The sensors 204 may providethat location information to the processor 210 so that battery chargingstation 110 may use optimal parameters for its power transmitters 214 a,214 b, and 214 c to achieve high power charging efficiency. For example,the processor 210 may be operable to use the beam former circuitry 212 cto configure the ultrasound power transmitter 214 c and activate asubset of its ultrasound transducers that may be in close proximity ofthe battery adapter 120. The processor may also be operable to instructor signal the beam former circuitry 212 c to focus the ultrasound beamand its energy on the sensed location of the battery adapter 120. The RFpower transmitter 214 a may comprise multiple RF transceivers 214 _(a1)through 214 _(aN), each of which may have multiple antennas such asantennas a₁-a₃, b₁-b₂, c₁-c₂, and d₁-d₃, for the RF transceivers 214_(a1) through 214 _(aN), respectively. The processor 210 may use themultiplexer 212 a to activate one or more of the RF transceivers 214_(a1) through 214 _(aN) that may be optimally positioned and/or mayenable the right antenna orientation for the sensed location of thebattery adapter 120. The processor 210 may then configure each RFtransceiver with appropriate parameters such as transmit power, RFfrequency, antenna pattern and direction, RF beam polarization, and/orchannel coding. The processor 210 may also use the multiplexer 212 b tosupply one or more of the coils 213 ₁ through 213 _(M) of themultiplexer 214 b that may be near the sensed position of the batteryadapter 120 with an alternating current, thereby creating an AC magneticfield near one or more of the coils 213 ₁ through 213 _(M) of thebattery adapter 120.

The communicators 206 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfacesand/or code that are operable to communicate signals at appropriatefrequency bands such as a radio frequency band, an induction frequencyband, and an ultrasound frequency band. In this regard, thecommunicators 206 may be operable to capture and receive electric powerby communicating RF signals, mm-wave (mmW) signals, induction signalsand/or ultrasonic signals with appropriate networks.

The networking unit 208 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry,interfaces and/or code that are operable to communicate radio frequencypower, induction power, and ultrasound power with electronic devices forwirelessly battery charging.

The processor 210 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfacesand/or code that may be operable to manage, coordinate and/or controloperations of associated device component units such as, for example,the communicators 206 and the networking unit 208, depending on usages.For example, the processor 210 may be operable to activate or deactivatethe networking unit 208 on an as needed basis in order to save power.The processor 210 may also be operable to transmit and receive video,voice and data using networking unit 208 or communicators 206. Dependingon device capabilities and user preferences, the processor 210 may beoperable to determine or select which electronic devices such as theelectronic devices 130 a-130 b within a geographic area of interest areto be wirelessly charged. The processor 210 may coordinate with themultiplexers 212 a and 212 b and the beam former circuitry 212 c suchthat the RF power transmitters 214 a, the induction power transmitters214 b and/or the ultrasound power transmitters 214 c may be activated totransmit RF power, induction power and/or ultrasound power,respectively. In this regard, the processor 210 may coordinate orarrange the RF power transmitters 214 a, the induction powertransmitters 214 b and/or the ultrasound power transmitters 214 c sothat the resulting power transmission from the battery charging station200 to intended objects such as the electronic device 130 a may bemaximized. In an embodiment of the invention, the processor 210 may usethe sensors 204 to sense the location of the battery adapter 120, aswell as other parameters, so as to maximize the efficiency of powertransfer between the battery charging station 110 and the batteryadapter 120.

In an embodiment of the invention, the processor 210 may be operable toconcurrently charge the electronic devices 130 a-130 b utilizing the RFpower transmitters 214 a, the induction power transmitters 214 b and/orthe ultrasound power transmitters 214 c. The processor 210 may beoperable to network the electronic devices 130 a-130 g through wirelesscommunication. The networked electronic devices 130 a-130 g may beengaged in direct or in-direct device-to-device communication. Withdirect device-to-device communication, the processor 210 may be operableto monitor the networked electronic devices 130 a, 130 b and 130 cdirectly communicating from one to another without intervening thebattery charging station 200 in-between. In this regard, the directdevice-to-device communication may comprise communication between thenetworked electronic devices utilizing Bluetooth or Near fieldcommunication (NFC). The direct device-to-device communication may alsocomprise communication between the networked electronic devices throughother networks utilizing WLAN access points or base stations, forexample. With in-direct device-to-device communication, the processor210 may operate as a router that routes or controls routing of datapackets among the networked electronic devices 130 a-130 g as needed. Inan embodiment of the invention, the processor 210 may be operable toconnect the networked electronic devices 130 a-130 g to a computernetwork such as the Internet. In this regard, the processor 210 may beenabled to support various network applications such as networkadvertising, software and/or media data uploading or downloading, email,chat, web browsing, video conferencing, web services and/or webapplications between the computer network and the networked electronicdevices 130 a-130 g, for example.

In an embodiment of the invention, the processor 210 may be operable toselect which electronic device to power up and communicate with. In thisregard, the processor 210 may acquire device identification informationfrom the networked electronic devices 130 a-130 g. The acquired deviceidentification information may comprise media access control address(MAC ID), network IP address, name, serial number, product name andmanufacturer, capabilities. The processor 210 may store the acquireddevice identification information in the memory 219 for deviceregistration, for example. The processor 210 may access the storeddevice identification information so as to authorize and prioritize theelectronic devices 130 a-130 g for charging. In an exemplary embodimentof the invention, the processor 210 may be operable to store theacquired device identification information on servers such as thenetwork server coupled to the network 220. The processor 210 maydetermine device charging priorities for the electronic devices 130a-130 g based on subscription levels, content to be communicated, and/ordevice functions. The processor 210 may ensure an electronic device withhigher priority is charged first or is given more charging time than anelectronic device with a lower priority.

The multiplexer 212 a may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfacesand/or code that may be operable to up-convert baseband signals suppliedfrom the processor 210 to RF signals. The RF power transmitters 214 amay comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that maybe operable to transmit the RF signals to intended objects such as theelectronic devices 130 a-130 g for wirelessly battery charging. The RFpower transmitter 214 a may be controlled by the processor 210. The REpower transmitter 214 a may comprise a number of transmitter modules orRF transceivers 214 _(a1) through 214 _(aN). Each transmitter module maycomprise a number of high gain antennas, for example, the antennasa₁-a₃, such that through different phases and amplitudes the transmittermay use beam steering to change the angle of its RF beam. With regard toRF power, the processor 210 may use the multiplexer 212 a to transmitpower with a subset of the RF transceivers 214 _(a1) through 214 _(aN)and configures corresponding antennas such that the RF beam may befocused on the location of the RF power receiver 312 of electronicdevice 130 a, for example. The transmitted RF waves may not be modulatedsince they may be used for power generation, but not data transmission.With regard to induction power, the induction power transmitter 214 bmay be controlled by the processor 210 which may instruct or signal themultiplexer 212 b to supply one or more of the coils 213 ₁ through 213_(M) with an alternating current, thereby creating an AC magnetic field.The magnetic field may generate a voltage across one or more of thecoils 213 ₁ through 213 _(M) of the induction power receiver 316. Thegenerated voltage may be processed and utilized for charging. In anexemplary embodiment of the invention, the processing may compriseregulation, rectification and/or smoothing by using one or morecapacitors.

The beam former circuitry 212 c may comprise suitable logic, circuitry,interfaces and/or code that may be operable to steer and focusultrasound beams to objects of interest. In this regard, the beam formercircuitry 212 c may be operable to drive or activate associated transmitultrasonic transducers to produce beams of sound to be steered andfocused on intended objects such as the electronic devices 130 a-130 g.The ultrasound power transmitters 214 c may comprise suitable logic,circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be operable to transmitultrasonic signals to intended objects such as the electronic devices130 a-130 g to wirelessly charge electrical batteries utilized by theelectronic devices 130 a-130 g. The ultrasound power transmitters 214 cmay be equipped with linear, planar, circular or hexagonal antennaarrays so as to cover reflections in the multipath environment betweenthe battery charging station 200 and the intended objects to be charged.

The I/O unit 216 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfacesand/or code that may be operable to control or manage different I/Odevices such as the display 218.

The display 218 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfacesand/or code that may be operable to present information in visual form.In this regard, the display 218 may be utilized to present networkadvertising content to the owners of the electronic devices that arebeing charged. The display 218 may use, but is not limited to, a cathoderay tube (CRT), liquid crystal display (LCD), gas plasma, digital lightprocessing or other image projection technology.

The memory 219 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/orcode that may be operable to store information such as executableinstructions and data that may be utilized by the processor 210 and/orother associated component units such as, for example, the ultrasoundpower transmitters 214 c. The memory 219 may store device identificationinformation acquired from the electronic devices 130 a-130 g. The deviceidentification information may comprise information such as media accesscontrol address (MAC ID), network IP address, name, serial number,product name and manufacturer, capabilities. The device identificationinformation may be accessed and utilized by the processor 210 toauthorize, register, and/or prioritize the electronic devices 130 a-130g for charging. The memory 219 may comprise RAM, ROM, low latencynonvolatile memory such as flash memory and/or other suitable electronicdata storage.

The network 220 may be a computer network. The network 220 may comprisean intranet, extranet and/or the Internet. An intranet may utilizeInternet Protocol (IP) technology to securely share an organization'sinformation or network operating system. An extranet may be a privatenetwork that uses Internet protocols and network connectivity. TheInternet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that mayutilize the standard Internet Protocol Suite (TCP/IP) to serve usersworldwide.

The advertising server 222 may be utilized to generate genericadvertisements to be received by the network server 224. The networkserver 224 is a computer or device on a network that manages networkresources. The network server 224 may be operable to process requestsand deliver data to other computers over a local network or theInternet. In this regard, the network server 224 may deliveradvertisement content supplied from the advertising server 222 to thebattery charging station 200. In other embodiments the advertisingserver 222 may serve advertisement content directly to the batterystation 200. The advertisements may be displayed on the networkedelectronic devices, for example, when they are being charged and/or notbeing utilized. The advertisements may comprise text, graphics, videoand/or audio. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the networkserver 224 may act as a master and may instruct the processor 210 toperform functions such as, for example, monitoring the power status of aplurality of electronic devices and decide which subset of those devicesare charged and with what priority. An authorized user may also use anetwork to connect to the network server 224 and control the networkserver 224, which in turn controls the processor 210 and the batterycharging station 200. The network server 224 may also controldirect/indirect communication between two charged electronic devices.

In an exemplary operation, the battery charging station 200 may captureor receive AC power from electrical power sources such as an electricalwall outlet. The AC-DC adaptor 202 may convert the captured AC powerinto DC power to charge associated device components such as the display218 and power transmitters. The RF power transmitters 214 a, theinduction power transmitters 214 b and/or the ultrasound powertransmitters 214 c may be utilized to concurrently charge intendedobjects such as the electronic devices 130 a-130 g. The processor 210may network the electronic devices 130 a-130 g to enabledevice-to-device communication among the electronic devices 130 a-130 g.The networked electronic devices 130 a-130 g may be connected via thenetworking unit 208 to the network 220 for various network applicationsor services such as, for example, network advertising, softwareuploading and downloading, email, chat, web browsing, videoconferencing, web services and/or web applications.

The battery charging station 200 may be configured such that it may usethe wireless communicators 206 and/or the wired networking unit 208 tocommunicate with electronic devices. In exemplary embodiments of theinvention, the RF power transmitters 214 a, the induction powertransmitters 214 b, and the ultrasound power transmitters 214 c may notonly be used to charge electronic devices but they may also be operableto transmit and receive data. In such a case, a portion of theultrasound power transmitters of 214 c, a portion of the coils 213 ₁through 213 _(M) of the induction power transmitters 214 b, and aportion of the RF transceivers 214 _(a1) through 214 _(aN) of the RFpower transmitters 214 a may be dedicated and optimized for datacommunication with one or more of the electronic devices 130 a-130 g,while others may be optimized for charging the one or more electronicdevices 130 a-130 g. Command and control information between thecharging station 200 and the electronic devices 130 a-130 g may also beexchanged on the wireless communicators 206, on the power transmitters214 a, 214 b, and 214 c, or on a separate dedicated control channel. Inaddition, the battery charging station 200 may itself have a wirelesscharging adapter with an induction power receiver, an ultrasound powerreceiver, and a RF power receiver so that the charging station 200 maybe charged in case there is no AC power source. In an exemplaryembodiment of the invention, the transducer elements of the ultrasoundpower transmitter 214 c may comprise different center frequencies,frequency bandwidth and/or transmission ranges such that some may bemore suitable for short distances and others may be more suitable forlonger distances.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary electronic device withmultiple types of power receivers for wireless battery charging, inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 3,there is shown an electronic device 300. The electronic device 300comprises an RF power receiver 312, an induction power receiver 316, anultrasound power receiver 314, a battery charger 320, a battery 330, anelectric device circuitry 340, and data communicators 350.

The electronic device 300 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry,interfaces and/or code that are operable to conduct communicationsutilizing battery energy. In this regard, the electronic device 300 maybe wirelessly charged utilizing RF energy, induction energy andultrasound energy emitted from the RF power transmitters 214 a, theinduction power transmitters 214 b and the ultrasound power transmitters214 c, respectively.

The RF power receiver 312 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry,interfaces and/or code that may be operable to receive and decode RFsignals for use. The RF power receiver 312 may comprise a plurality ofdirectional antennas 312 a that are connected to the power scavenger 312b. The RF transmissions of the RF power transmitter 214 a may bereceived by the antennas 312 a. The energy of the received RF signalsmay be converted by the power scavenger 312 b to a supply voltage. In anexemplary embodiment of the invention, the supply voltage may be storedin one or more capacitors. The supply voltage may be then provided tothe battery charger 320.

The ultrasound power receiver 314 may comprise suitable logic,circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be operable to receive anddecode ultrasound signals for use as power. The ultrasound powerreceiver 314 may be fitted on the electronic device 300, for example, inthe shape of associated mating materials such as pad and back cover ofthe electronic device 300. The ultrasound power receiver 314 comprises aplurality of receiver (Rx) ultrasonic transducers 314 a and a powerscavenger 314 b. The Rx ultrasonic transducers 314 a may comprisesuitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be operableto detect or sense ultrasound waves. In this regard, the Rx ultrasonictransducers 314 a may be operable to receive ultrasonic signals emittedfrom the ultrasound power transmitters 214 c. The Rx ultrasonictransducers 314 a may receive the ultrasound waves transmitted by theultrasound power transmitter 214 c and convert the ultrasound energyinto electrical signals. The generated voltage across the transducers314 a may be then processed by the power scavenger 314 b such that itmay be used for charging. The power scavenger 314 b may feed or providethe combined ultrasonic signals to the battery charger 320.

The induction power receiver 316 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry,interfaces and/or code that may be operable to receive induction power.The induction power receiver 316 may comprise a coil 316 a and a powerscavenger 316 b. Although a single receive coil 316 a is illustrated inFIG. 3 for wirelessly charge electrical batteries, the invention may notbe so limited. Accordingly, multiple receive coils may be included in abattery charger for wireless charging without departing from the spiritand scope of various embodiments of the invention.

With regard to induction power, the induction power transmitter 214 bmay be controlled by the processor 210, which instructs the multiplexer212 b to supply one or more of its coils with an alternating current,thereby creating an AC magnetic field. The magnetic field may generate avoltage across the coil 316 b of the induction power receiver 316. Thegenerated voltage may then be processed by the power scavenger 316 bsuch that it may be used for charging. In an exemplary embodiment of theinvention, the processing may comprise rectification and/or smoothing byusing one or more capacitors. The power scavenger 316 b may supply thepower received to the battery charger 320.

The battery charger 320 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry,interfaces and/or code that may be operable to energy supplied from thepower scavengers 312 b, 314 b, and 316 b, so as to charge the battery320 for the electronic device 300. For example, the battery charger 320may convert the supplied energy to a stable DC voltage to charge thebattery 330.

The battery 330 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfacesand/or code that may be operable to read or receive electric currentflowing into the battery 330. The battery 330 may be wirelessly chargedby the RF power transmitters 214 a, the induction power transmitters 214b, and the ultrasound power transmitters 214 c without using cables orplugging in the electronic device 300.

The electronic device circuitry 340 may comprise suitable logic,circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be operable to handle variousapplications supported by the electronic device 300. For example, withthe electronic device 300 operating as a cellular telephone, theelectronic device circuitry 340 may be configured to handle or placecellular telephone calls through appropriate communicators such as aCDMA radio. In an embodiment of the invention, the electronic devicecircuitry 340 may be operable to communicate with the battery chargingstation 200 to enable networking with other electronic devices such asthe electronic devices 130 a-130 g. In this regard, the electronicdevice circuitry 340 may be enabled to perform direct or in-directdevice-to-device communication with the networked electronic devicessuch as the electronic devices 130 a-130 g. In an embodiment of theinvention, the electronic device circuitry 340 may be connected to thenetwork 220 via the battery charging station 200 to access variousnetwork services such as, for example, network advertising, softwareuploading and downloading, email, chat, web browsing, videoconferencing, web services and/or web applications.

In an embodiment of the invention, the electronic device circuitry 340may be operable to provide device identification information to thebattery charging station 200. The device identification information maycomprise media access control address (MAC ID), network IP address,name, serial number, product name and manufacturer, capabilities. Thedevice identification information may be utilized by the batterycharging station 200 to authorize and prioritize the electronic device300 for charging.

The data communicators 350 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry,interfaces and/or code that are operable to transmit and/or receivesignals for data communication at appropriate frequency bands such as acellular radio frequency band and a Bluetooth radio band. In thisregard, the data communicators 350 may be equipped with a RFcommunicator 352, a magnetic coupling communicator 354, an mmW RFcommunicator 356, and an ultrasound communicator 358 to communicate RFsignals, magnetic signals, mmW RF signals and/or ultrasonic signals,respectively.

In an exemplary operation, power receivers such as the RF power receiver312, the ultrasound power receiver 314, and the induction power receiver316 may concurrently detect and receive RF signals, ultrasound signals,and induction signals transmitted from the RF power transmitters 214 a,the ultrasound power transmitters 214 c, and the induction powertransmitters 214 b, respectively. The received RF signals, inductionsignals and ultrasound signals are converted into electrical power bypower scavenger 312 b, 316 b, and 314 b, respectively, and are fed tothe battery charger 320 to provide electric power to charge the battery330. The battery 330 may output electric power to the electronic devicecircuitry 340. The data communicators 350 may communicate with thenetwork 220 and other networked electronic devices for desired services.For example, the data communicators 350 may utilize a secure IPconnection to provide users of the electronic device 300 with access tovarious networking services such as email, chat, web browsing, videoconferencing, web services and/or web applications.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating exemplary steps utilized by a batterycharging station to network electronic devices and supportdevice-to-device communication, in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention. Referring to FIG. 4, in step 402, the battery chargingstation 200 is equipped with the RF power transmitters 214 a, theinduction power transmitters 214 b, and the ultrasound powertransmitters 214 c. The exemplary steps start with step 404, where thebattery charging station 200 may be operable to concurrently charge aplurality of electronic devices such as the electronic devices 130 a-130g utilizing the RF power transmitters 214 a, the induction powertransmitters 214 b, and the ultrasound power transmitters 214 c. In step406, the battery charging station 200 may wirelessly communicate withthe electronic devices 130 a-130 g to network the electronic devices 130a-130 g. In step 408, it may be determined whether directdevice-to-device communication is expected among the networkedelectronic devices 130 a-130 g. In instances where a directdevice-to-device communication is preferred, then in step 410, thebattery charging station 200 may monitor the networked electronicdevices 130 a-130 g directly communicating from one to another withoutintervening the battery charging station 200.

In step 408, in instances where an in-direct device-to-devicecommunication is preferred, then in step 412, the battery chargingstation 200 may route data packets for communication among intendednetworked electronic devices such as the networked electronic devices130 a-130 g.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating exemplary steps utilized by a batterycharging station to connect electronic devices to a computer network tosupport network functions, in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention. Referring to FIG. 5, in step 502, the battery chargingstation 200 is equipped with the RF power transmitters 214 a, theinduction power transmitters 214 b, and the ultrasound powertransmitters 214 c. The exemplary steps start with step 504, where thebattery charging station 200 may be operable to concurrently charge aplurality of electronic devices such as the electronic devices 130 a-130g utilizing the RF power transmitters 214 a, the induction powertransmitters 214 b, and the ultrasound power transmitters 214 c. In step506, the battery charging station 200 may wirelessly communicate withthe electronic devices 130 a-130 g to network the electronic devices 130a-130 g. In step 508, the battery charging station 200 may connect thenetworked electronic devices 130 a-130 g to a computer network such asthe network 220. In step 510, the battery charging station 200 may beenabled to support network functions for the network 220. For example,the battery charging station 200 may route advertisements supplied fromcontent servers such as the advertising server 222 of the network 220 tothe networked electronic devices 130 a-130 g. The advertisements may bedisplayed on the networked electronic devices, for example, when theyare being charged and/or not being utilized. In another example, thebattery charging station 200 may support communication to provide usersof the electronic device 300 with access to various networking servicessuch as email, chat, web browsing, video conferencing, web servicesand/or web applications. In another example, the battery chargingstation 200 may be operable to download software and/or media data fromthe network 220. The battery charging station 200 may share thedownloaded software and/or media data among the networked electronicdevices 130 a-130 g when needed. In another example, the batterycharging station 200 may be operable to upload software and/or mediadata from intended electronic devices such as the networked electronicdevices 130 a-130 g. The battery charging station 200 may communicatewith the network 220 to share the uploaded software and/or media dataamong subscribers of the network 220.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating exemplary steps utilized by anelectronic device to perform device-to-device communication, inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 6, instep 602, the electronic device 300 is equipped with the RF powerreceiver 312, the induction power receiver 316, and the ultrasound powerreceiver 314. The exemplary steps start with step 604, where theelectronic device 300 may be operable to detect and receive signals fromthe battery charging station 200 that is equipped with the RF powertransmitters 214 a, the induction power transmitters 214 b, and theultrasound power transmitters 214 c. In step 606, RF energy, ultrasoundenergy and induction energy for the received signals may be convertedinto electronic power.

In step 608, the battery charger 320 may utilize the electronic powersupplied from the RF power receiver 312, the induction power receiver316, and the ultrasound power receiver 314 to charge the battery 330. Instep 610, the electronic device circuitry 340 may utilize the datacommunicators 350 to wirelessly communicate with the battery chargingstation 200 so as to be networked with other served electronic devicessuch as the networked electronic devices 130 a-130 g. In step 612, itmay be determined if direct device-to-device communication is expectedamong the networked electronic devices 300 and 130 a-130 g. In instanceswhere a direct device-to-device communication is preferred, then in step614, the networked electronic device 300 may directly communicate withintended networked electronic devices such as the networked electronicdevices 130 a-130 g without intervening the battery charging station200. With regard to the direct device-to-device communication, thenetworked electronic device 300 may perform peer-to-peer communicationwith intended networked electronic devices such as the networkedelectronic device 130 b utilizing Bluetooth or Near field communication(NFC). The networked electronic device 300 may communicate with intendednetworked electronic devices such as the networked electronic device 130c through other networks utilizing WLAN access points and/or cellularbase stations, for example.

In step 612, in instances where an in-direct device-to-devicecommunication is preferred, then in step 616, the networked electronicdevice 300 may communicate with the battery charging station 200 forrouting data packets for communication between the networked electronicdevice 300 with each intended networked electronic device such as thenetworked electronic devices 130 a-130 g. The exemplary steps end instep 618.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating exemplary steps utilized by anelectronic device to connect to a computer network to support networkfunctions, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Referringto FIG. 7, in step 702, the electronic device 300 is equipped with theRF power receiver 312, the induction power receiver 316, and theultrasound power receiver 314. The exemplary steps start with step 704,where the electronic device 300 may be operable to communicate with thebattery charging station 200 to be connected to a computer network suchas the network 220. In step 706, the electronic device 300 may beconfigured to support network functions for the network 220. Forexample, the electronic device 300 may receive network advertisementsrouted by the battery charging station 200. The electronic device 300may present the network advertisements to users during or after thebattery charging. In another example, the electronic device 300 may beoperable to download software and/or media data via the battery chargingstation 200 from the network 220. The battery charging station 200 mayutilize the downloaded software and/or media data to support appropriateapplication such as media playback. In another example, the electronicdevice 300 may be operable to upload software and/or media data to thenetwork 220 via the network 220. In another example, the electronicdevice 300 may support communication to provide users of the electronicdevice 300 with access to various networking services such as email,chat, web browsing, video conferencing, web services and/or webapplications.

Aspects of a method and system for a battery charging station usingmultiple types of power transmitters for wireless battery charging areprovided. In accordance with various exemplary embodiments of theinvention, as described with respect to FIG. 1 through FIG. 7, thebattery charging station 200 is equipped with the RF power transmitters214 a, the induction power transmitters 214 b, and the ultrasound powertransmitters 214 c. The battery charging station 200 may be operable toconcurrently charge a plurality of electronic devices such as theelectronic devices 130 a-130 g utilizing the RF power transmitters 214a, the induction power transmitters 214 b, and the ultrasound powertransmitters 214 c. The battery charging station 200 may be operable tonetwork the electronic devices 130 a-130 g through wirelesscommunication. In this regard, the battery charging station 200 maycoordinate or arrange the RF power transmitters 214 a, the inductionpower transmitters 214 b and/or the ultrasound power transmitters 214 cso that the resulting power transmission from the battery chargingstation 200 to one or more intended electronic devices such as theelectronic devices 130 a-130 g may be maximized. In an embodiment of theinvention, the battery charging station 200 may wirelessly communicatewith the electronic devices 130 a-130 g for device networking. Thebattery charging station 200 may connect the networked electronicdevices 130 a-130 g to a computer network such as the network 220 fornetwork services. The network 220 may comprise an intranet, an extranet,and/or the Internet. The battery charging station 200 may be enabled toroute software and/or media content between the network 220 and thenetworked electronic devices 130 a-130 g. In this regard, the mediacontent may comprise network advertising supplied from the advertisingserver 222 of the network 220. The networked electronic devices 130a-130 g may be operable to present the network advertisements to usersduring battery charging. The networked electronic devices 130 a-130 gmay perform in-direct device-to-device communication via the batterycharging station 200. Direct device-to-device communication may beperformed among the networked electronic devices 130 a-130 g withoutintervening the battery charging station 200 in-between. The batterycharging station 200 may dedicate a portion of the RF power transmitters214 a, the induction power transmitters 214 b, and the ultrasound powertransmitters 214 c to data communication with the electronic device 130,for example, while the rest may be utilized and optimized for chargingthe electronic device 130 a.

Other embodiments of the invention may provide a non-transitory computerreadable medium and/or storage medium, and/or a non-transitory machinereadable medium and/or storage medium, having stored thereon, a machinecode and/or a computer program having at least one code sectionexecutable by a machine and/or a computer, thereby causing the machineand/or computer to perform the steps as described herein for a batterycharging station using multiple types of power transmitters for wirelessbattery charging.

Accordingly, the present invention may be realized in hardware,software, or a combination of hardware and software. The presentinvention may be realized in a centralized fashion in at least onecomputer system, or in a distributed fashion where different elementsare spread across several interconnected computer systems. Any kind ofcomputer system or other apparatus adapted for carrying out the methodsdescribed herein is suited. A typical combination of hardware andsoftware may be a general-purpose computer system with a computerprogram that, when being loaded and executed, controls the computersystem such that it carries out the methods described herein.

The present invention may also be embedded in a computer programproduct, which comprises all the features enabling the implementation ofthe methods described herein, and which when loaded in a computer systemis able to, carry out these methods. Computer program in the presentcontext means any expression, in any language, code or notation, of aset of instructions intended to cause a system having an informationprocessing capability to perform a particular function either directlyor after either or both of the following: a) conversion to anotherlanguage, code or notation; b) reproduction in a different materialform.

While the present invention has been described with reference to certainembodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art thatvarious changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted withoutdeparting from the scope of the present invention. In addition, manymodifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material tothe teachings of the present invention without departing from its scope.Therefore, it is intended that the present invention not be limited tothe particular embodiment disclosed, but that the present invention willinclude all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of processing signals, the methodcomprising: in a battery charging station that comprises one or more ofan ultrasound power transmitter, an induction power transmitter, and aradio frequency power transmitter: concurrently charging a plurality ofelectronic devices utilizing said one or more of said ultrasound powertransmitter, said induction power transmitter, and said radio frequencypower transmitter; and networking said plurality of electronic devicesduring or after said charging.
 2. The method according to claim 1,comprising configuring said radio frequency power transmitter, saidinduction power transmitter, and/or said ultrasound power transmitter tomaximize power transmission to one or more intended electronic devicesof said plurality of electronic devices.
 3. The method according toclaim 1, comprising wirelessly communicating with said plurality ofelectronic devices for said networking.
 4. The method according to claim3, comprising connecting said plurality of electronic devices to acomputer network that is accessible via said battery charging station.5. The method according to claim 4, comprising routing software and/ormedia content between said computer network and said plurality ofelectronic devices.
 6. The method according to claim 5, comprisingrouting advertisements received from content servers of said computernetwork to said plurality of electronic devices.
 7. The method accordingto claim 6, wherein said plurality of electronic devices present saidadvertisements to users during said charging.
 8. The method according toclaim 3, wherein said plurality of networked electronic devicescommunicate among one another via said battery charging station.
 9. Themethod according to claim 3, wherein said plurality of networkedelectronic devices directly communicate among one another withoutcommunicating via said battery charging station.
 10. The methodaccording to claim 1, comprising utilizing said one or more of saidultrasound power transmitter, said induction power transmitter, and saidradio frequency power transmitter to concurrently communicate data withone or more of said plurality of electronic devices and charging saidone or more of said plurality of electronic devices.
 11. A system forprocessing signals, the system comprising: a battery charging stationcomprising one or more processors and/or circuits, wherein said one ormore processors and/or circuits comprises one or more of an ultrasoundpower transmitter, an induction power transmitter, and a radio frequencypower transmitter, and said one or more processors and/or circuits beingoperable to: concurrently charge a plurality of electronic devicesutilizing said one or more of said ultrasound power transmitter, saidinduction power transmitter, and said radio frequency power transmitter;and network said plurality of electronic devices during or after saidcharging.
 12. The system according to claim 11, wherein said one or moreprocessors and/or circuits are operable to configure said radiofrequency power transmitter, said induction power transmitter, and/orsaid ultrasound power transmitter to maximize power transmission to oneor more intended electronic devices of said plurality of electronicdevices.
 13. The system according to claim 11, wherein said one or moreprocessors and/or circuits are operable to wirelessly communicate withsaid plurality of electronic devices for said networking.
 14. The systemaccording to claim 13, wherein said one or more processors and/orcircuits are operable to connect said plurality of electronic devices toa computer network that is accessible via said battery charging station.15. The system according to claim 14, wherein said one or moreprocessors and/or circuits are operable to route software and/or mediacontent between said computer network and said plurality of electronicdevices.
 16. The system according to claim 15, wherein said one or moreprocessors and/or circuits are operable to route advertisements receivedfrom content servers of said computer network to said plurality ofelectronic devices.
 17. The system according to claim 16, wherein saidplurality of electronic devices present said advertisements to usersduring said charging.
 18. The system according to claim 131, whereinsaid plurality of networked electronic devices communicate among oneanother via said battery charging station.
 19. The system according toclaim 13, wherein said plurality of networked electronic devicesdirectly communicate among one another without communicating via saidbattery charging station in-between.
 20. The system according to claim11, wherein said one or more processors and/or circuits are operable toutilize said one or more of said ultrasound power transmitter, saidinduction power transmitter, and said radio frequency power transmitterto concurrently communicate data with one or more of said plurality ofelectronic devices and charging said one or more of said plurality ofelectronic devices.